The City of Toronto’s fifth annual Toronto Newcomer Day, held today at Nathan Phillips Square, was an opportunity to welcome newcomers to Toronto and celebrate their contributions to the city. Mayor John Tory attended and brought greetings on behalf of City Council as he proclaimed Newcomer Day.
The event was kicked off with the Welcome Gesture, which entails people of diverse languages and cultures exchanging gestures of warm welcome.
KUNÉ, considered to be Canada’s global orchestra – formed to explore and celebrate Canada’s cultural diversity and pluralism – entertained attendees with two performances. In addition, award-winning producer, DJ and Thunder Bay native Classic Roots brought his unique brand of electronica and pow wow techno to the stage for an Indigenous and South Asian fusion inspired performance together with Bharatanatyam dancer Sam Punthambekar.
Toronto Newcomer Day was sponsored by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, StarMetroland Media, Tim Hortons, chatr, ROYALE, and New Canadians TV Show. Official event partners included AIR MILES, CELPIP and CAEL by Paragon Testing Enterprises, and Meridian.
More information about Newcomer Day is available at http://www.toronto.ca/newcomerday.
Quote:
“Toronto has become an example to the world when it comes to diversity. The many cultural communities and people who call Toronto their home have contributed greatly to our success and have helped create our identity as a vibrant and global city. As one of the most multicultural cities in the world, it is important we continue to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for newcomers.”
– Toronto Mayor John Tory
Toronto is Canada’s largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of more than 2.9 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world’s most livable cities. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/cityoftoronto, on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/cityofto or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/cityofto.